Decided to sail today for the first time in a number of months; just been busy cycling and doing other things. Headed up to our local launch ramp for an ocean cruise.
Skies were cloudy under fog. It's been strange in Socal this year. Just 1 mile inland it was hot and sunny but alas, we had coolish temps, wind blowing at 10-12 with freshening breezes that ultimately topped 15+
It's a short couple of tacks out of the marina and whoo hoo! Steep enough chop and waves to ride, steady breezes and the boat was planning wonderfully, despite my rusty skills. Had some great downwind rides...oh man...this is what I bought the boat for.
Last tack of the day I notice the sail is way far out off the boom and I'm wondering if I broke the outhaul. Before I could really figure out what was happening, I had capsized. Okay, no big deal, brought the boat up and the boom fell off. Going from bad to worse, I'm about 100 yards seaward of the breakwater and drifting.
It's clear the outhaul is loose but still hooked to the sail. I take a deep breath and steady the boat, remounting the boom. The end of the line is in the water. I grab it, hoping to re-thread but as soon as I do, the sail fills and we are off at full speed right at the rocks.
I dove for the downwind side and quickly re-capsized the boat, stopping our progress momentarily. Boom off again. With the chop and wind hitting us, it's not going to be possible to fix this.
I grabbed the bow and starting kicking away from the breakwater, making a few yards at a time. But I was convinced that this is the end, my boat is going to hit the rocks and that will be that.
Luckily, a power boater saw me and came over. He called the Harbor Patrol for me. During the five minute wait, I stayed in the water, acting as a sea anchor.
The HP guys were great. Once tied up to their boat and no longer in danger of destroying my Laser, I returned to the water and carefully slid the sail off the mast. The top section came off as well. I rolled the sail on that section and had the HP take it on board.
Cleaned up some lines and we towed the boat back to the ramp.
My best guess is that I forgot to tie a figure 8 at the end of the line after leading it through the block. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It was my own fault, out of the boat too many months and not following good practices. I was extremely lucky and will not make that mistake again!
The few smarter things I did:
Socal water temps are in the low 60's. I wore a Spring suit and Aquafleece top and booties. Thought at the start I might be a bit warm but did it anyway as a safety measure because I knew I was heading outside. I was comfortable in the water while awaiting rescue. Love the Aquafleece!
Capsized the boat to stop everything else from happening. When I was unable to correct my issues, it prevented me from making quick progress into the jetty, especially with me in the water.
My tow line was attached to the eye on the deck. It's not very strong. I wrapped it around the mast for better stability and to prevent the plastic from being yanked off the boat.
Had a plan in mind to discuss with the Harbor Patrol so that we could move quickly and not take up too much of their time. Also meant that they knew I was in control of myself without adding to the problem.
Kept my cool. I never felt personally threatened. Worst case was the boat was going to be destroyed but a very easy swim would put me on the lee side of the jetty and safe. I just had to be willing to let go and I made the decision early.
If I had the sea room, I probably could have corrected the problem and been back sailing. The proximity to the rocks became the issue. I'm staying a bit farther off from them now but always sail close enough to shore to be safe.
Many thanks to the HP for their help!
Skies were cloudy under fog. It's been strange in Socal this year. Just 1 mile inland it was hot and sunny but alas, we had coolish temps, wind blowing at 10-12 with freshening breezes that ultimately topped 15+
It's a short couple of tacks out of the marina and whoo hoo! Steep enough chop and waves to ride, steady breezes and the boat was planning wonderfully, despite my rusty skills. Had some great downwind rides...oh man...this is what I bought the boat for.
Last tack of the day I notice the sail is way far out off the boom and I'm wondering if I broke the outhaul. Before I could really figure out what was happening, I had capsized. Okay, no big deal, brought the boat up and the boom fell off. Going from bad to worse, I'm about 100 yards seaward of the breakwater and drifting.
It's clear the outhaul is loose but still hooked to the sail. I take a deep breath and steady the boat, remounting the boom. The end of the line is in the water. I grab it, hoping to re-thread but as soon as I do, the sail fills and we are off at full speed right at the rocks.
I dove for the downwind side and quickly re-capsized the boat, stopping our progress momentarily. Boom off again. With the chop and wind hitting us, it's not going to be possible to fix this.
I grabbed the bow and starting kicking away from the breakwater, making a few yards at a time. But I was convinced that this is the end, my boat is going to hit the rocks and that will be that.
Luckily, a power boater saw me and came over. He called the Harbor Patrol for me. During the five minute wait, I stayed in the water, acting as a sea anchor.
The HP guys were great. Once tied up to their boat and no longer in danger of destroying my Laser, I returned to the water and carefully slid the sail off the mast. The top section came off as well. I rolled the sail on that section and had the HP take it on board.
Cleaned up some lines and we towed the boat back to the ramp.
My best guess is that I forgot to tie a figure 8 at the end of the line after leading it through the block. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It was my own fault, out of the boat too many months and not following good practices. I was extremely lucky and will not make that mistake again!
The few smarter things I did:
Socal water temps are in the low 60's. I wore a Spring suit and Aquafleece top and booties. Thought at the start I might be a bit warm but did it anyway as a safety measure because I knew I was heading outside. I was comfortable in the water while awaiting rescue. Love the Aquafleece!
Capsized the boat to stop everything else from happening. When I was unable to correct my issues, it prevented me from making quick progress into the jetty, especially with me in the water.
My tow line was attached to the eye on the deck. It's not very strong. I wrapped it around the mast for better stability and to prevent the plastic from being yanked off the boat.
Had a plan in mind to discuss with the Harbor Patrol so that we could move quickly and not take up too much of their time. Also meant that they knew I was in control of myself without adding to the problem.
Kept my cool. I never felt personally threatened. Worst case was the boat was going to be destroyed but a very easy swim would put me on the lee side of the jetty and safe. I just had to be willing to let go and I made the decision early.
If I had the sea room, I probably could have corrected the problem and been back sailing. The proximity to the rocks became the issue. I'm staying a bit farther off from them now but always sail close enough to shore to be safe.
Many thanks to the HP for their help!